


The One Where Tony is Steve's Weakness

by JinxQuickfoot



Series: Weaknesses [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Hostage Situations, Hurt Tony Stark, Hydra, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Kidnapping, Protective Steve Rogers, Rescue, Torture, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23260480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxQuickfoot/pseuds/JinxQuickfoot
Summary: “We have been trying to replicate the super-soldier serum for decades, but alas Erskine’s formula has eluded us. Until we had the idea to reverse engineer it from the original.”Steve froze against the glass. Hydra wanted the serum? Then why take Tony?As if on cue, Strucker pulled his gun and levelled it against Tony’s head. “We didn’t think those chains would hold you, so I hope you don’t mind our little contingency plan.”----------------------------------------------------------------------------Steve is faced with an impossible choice: give Hydra access to his DNA, or watch one of his teammates suffer the consequences?
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Series: Weaknesses [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672462
Comments: 24
Kudos: 237
Collections: Weaknesses





	The One Where Tony is Steve's Weakness

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of the "Weaknesses" writing challenge.
> 
> [Come say hi on Tumblr - I take requests!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jinxquickfoot)

“Hey, Capsicle. I’m not one to judge, really, but this isn’t some twisted sex fantasy they tried to crush out of you in the 30s is it?”

Steve sighed with relief as the billionaire finally stirred to consciousness. He’d woken himself a couple of hours previously, or at least he thought so - there was no way to tell the time in the windowless room. It wasn’t large, the most interesting feature being a glass wall cutting the room in two, dividing him from Tony. There were two steel doors - one on his side, one on Tony’s - that looked pretty heavily reinforced.

As though they had been designed to keep someone with super-soldier strength from getting out.

Steve had spent the time trying to rip the chains that held his arms above his head out of the stone wall. With one final tug, they came free.

“Hey, well done big man. Mind coming over and doing the same for me?”

Tony was being held in the same fashion on the other side of the room. Prying the manacles off his wrists, Steve made his way over to Tony, only to pause at the dividing sheet of glass.

“Just checking, this _isn’t_ a sex thing, right? Because you never actually answered-”

“I don’t know what this is, Stark.”

Steve rammed his shoulder into the glass barrier. It didn’t so much as crack.

“What, did you use all the patriot juice up on the chains?”

Steve gritted his teeth as he slammed his shoulder into the glass a second time, and then a third. “I’m trying.”

After a few more goes, he heard, “Steve.”

He blinked, not sure he had heard correctly. He looked over at Tony. All the usual bravado and swagger that usually surrounded his teammate had dropped. He’d closed his eyes, leaning back against the stone wall.

The change in the genius’s demeanour threw Steve more than waking up in the mysterious room had. He softened.  “It’s going to be ok, Tony. We’ll get out of here. I’ll break the glass and-”

“I’m about 87.6 per cent certain that glass was made to be Cap-proof.”

“Well, I’m sure the chains were too. They weren’t.”

Tony gave a wry smile as a silence dropped between them. Steve hesitated, unsure what to say. He’d never seen Tony without a plan before.

“I’ve been here before, Cap.”

Steve swallowed, finally understanding. Afghanistan. He lowered himself so he was sitting against the glass, as close to Tony as possible.

“This isn’t going to be like Afghanistan. The team will be looking for us, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be looking for us. And you’re not on your own this time.”

“Great, I get kidnapped with the Tony Robbins of the group. At least Barton would compete with me for most colourful complaint.”

Steven sighed as Tony’s walls went back up - the armour he always wore whether he was in the suit or not. “I know we don’t see eye to eye on everything.” Steve ignored Tony’s scoff. “But you’re part of my team, Tony. I look out for my team.” Steve’s gut twisted. _You don’t always look out for your team though, do you? You weren’t looking out for Bucky when-_

“I know you do, Cap.” When Tony opened his eyes again, they were resolute. As though he’d made a decision. “But you’re also wrong.”

“You always think I’m wrong.”

“Not always. Just mostly. But in this case - definitely. This is going to be exactly like Afghanistan.” He looked over at Steve. “What else would the bad guys of the week want with me?”

“You don’t know-”

“They’re going to want a weapon. An arc reactor or a suit or something new and fun and deadly that’s going to get a whole lot of people hurt.”

“The team will find us before that happens.”

“You seem very sure of that. I had people looking for me in Afghanistan too. It took them more than a few hours.”

Steve let out a long breath. “I won’t let them hurt you, Tony.”

Tony let out of a bark of laughter. “I don’t think it’s me they’re going to hurt.”

Everything clicked into place. “You’re scared…of them hurting me?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

“Geez, Rogers, I’m not that heartless.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“But yeah. They’re going to want some shiny new death toy. And they were smart enough to grab some leverage while they were at it.”

“Tony, whatever they do to me - I can take it.” Tony snorted in disbelief. “I can. The serum will heal whatever they do to me.”

“Doesn’t stop it hurting you.”

“If it’s a choice between that and you building a weapon that will end up in the wrong hands…Tony, you can’t build them anything. You know you can't.”

“Always laying down on that wire, aren’t you Cap?” Tony let out a long sigh, seeming to weigh his next words. “Would you do it?” he finally asked.

Steve blinked, not quite comprehending. Tony continued. “Would you let a member of the team go through that? Would you watch, knowing you could end it?”

Steve weighed the question. “If they had told me that was their decision… yes.”

Tony leaned his head back against the wall, giving an experimental tug on the chains.They didn’t budge.

Steve pressed on. “And it is my decision, Tony. I’d be hurt more knowing that there was something out there that could kill innocent people than by anything they could do to me. Ok? Tony?”

Tony was still staring at the ceiling. When he finally looked at Steve, Steve was taken aback by a softness he hadn’t seen there before. “Ok. Protect the innocents, and all that. Good plan, Cap. Good plan. Good speech. Very inspiring. Don’t forget it.”

Steve frowned at those last words, but at that moment there was the rattle of keys in a lock, and the door on Tony’s side of the room swung open. Steve practically snarled at who entered, slamming his fist on the glass partition as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker walked into the room. 

Strucker made his way over to Tony, followed by two men in black, both bearing the Hydra symbol. He stopped by Tony’s side, reaching down to grip his chin, forcing his face up to his.

“Don’t you touch him,” Steve growled.

“If this turns out to be weird sex stuff after all,” Tony got out, hampered by Strucker’s grip on his chin. “I’m calling dibs not being the one to explain this to Pepper.”

Strucker shone a light in each of Tony’s eyes. “Excellent. The sedative we gave you has fully worn off. We want you to be awake for what comes next.” He looked over at Steve. “Did you miss me, Captain?”  


“Not particularly.”

“Cap has friends outside the team?” Tony said. “And there we were thinking we needed to get him out more.”

Strucker smiled as he looked back at Tony. “Tony Stark. We haven’t been formally introduced. Baron Strucker. The good captain and I have a lot of history.”

“He’s not building anything for you,” Steve shot at him. Strucker’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“And why would he? I already have the scientists I need.”

It was Steve’s turn to be surprised. He looked at Tony, who looked resolute. Prepared for what was to come.

“We have been trying to replicate the super-soldier serum for decades, but alas Erskine’s formula has eluded us. Until we had the idea to reverse engineer it from the original.”

Steve froze against the glass. Hydra wanted the serum? Then why take Tony?

As if on cue, Strucker pulled his gun and levelled it against Tony’s head. “We didn’t think those chains would hold you, so I hope you don’t mind our little contingency plan.”

He pressed the barrel of the gun so hard Tony’s head hit the back wall, making him wince.

“Now, when my men come in that room to take your blood, you’re going to be a good little solider and follow every single one of their orders. If you step one foot out of line…” Strucker nodded to one of the men, who pulled out a cattle prod and jammed it into Tony’s side, making him yell in pain and surprise.

“I’m going to kill you,” Steve promised.

“Death threats? That’s not very Captain America of you, Rogers. And neither is letting your team down.”

“Yep, Cap would never let his team down,” Tony said as his eyes found Steve’s. They were set. “Right, Cap?”

Steve glared back at him. _Damn you, Stark._ Tony had known. Somehow, that genius brain had seen something Steve hadn’t, and figured out it would be Tony who would be hurt to get Steve to cooperate, not the other way around. 

_Would you let a member of the team go through that? Would you watch, knowing you could end it?_

_If they had told me that was their decision… yes._

Tony had made his decision.

“What will be, Captain? When my men enter that room, are you going to behave?”

_I’d be hurt more knowing that there was something out there that could kill innocent people._

If Hydra got their hands on the serum…

“No,” Steve said. He felt something inside him break, even as Tony’s eyes filled with relief. “I’m not letting you or Hydra get the serum.”

“That’s your choice, Captain.” And he fired the gun at Tony’s leg.

Steve would never forget Tony’s cry of pain as the bullet hit. It burnt into his memory as he resumed smashing his shoulder into the glass, willing it to break…

A team of medics were already on the scene, tending to the leg. “We wouldn’t want Stark to bleed out so soon.” Strucker pocketed the gun. “Not when we’re only just beginning.” He snapped his fingers at the waiting Hydra operatives. One nodded and left the room, while the other approached Tony and unlocked the chains holding him to the wall. To Tony’s credit, he landed a hefty punch to the operative’s jaw before the cattle prod was jabbed into his side again.

_This is Tony’s choice,_ Steve reminded himself. _To protect innocents. If it were me, I wouldn’t want him to give in._

That resolved crumbled when the Hydra operative returned to the room holding a bucket of water.

“No,” Steve breathed, then louder, “Tony!”

_This isn’t going to be like Afghanistan._

The Hydra operatives held Tony above the water as Strucker turned back to Steve. “Are you going to let us take your blood, Rogers?”

Steve’s tongue felt like it was made of lead, caught between two impossible options. Strucker seemed to take his indecision for a no, because he signalled to the Hydra operatives to plunge Tony’s head under the water.

“Are you going to behave, Rogers?” Strucker repeated as Tony started to thrash.

Steve tried to breathe. _Don’t give in don’t give in don’t give in-_

It seemed like an eternity before they pulled Tony out of the water, gasping for air. Steve bowed his head, only to hear a cry of pain. He looked up to see Strucker resting his foot on Tony’s injured leg.

“Get off him,” Steve growled.

“You will watch, Rogers.”

When Steve didn’t reply, Strucker pressed down harder, making Tony _scream._

“Alright!” Steve cried out in panic. He had _never_ heard Tony make a sound like that. It cut him to the bone, and he knew he would never get it out of his head. “I’ll watch, just get off him! Please.”

Satisfied, Strucker removed his foot. He barely gave Tony a second to catch his breath before he was shoved back under the water.

“All this for a drop of blood, Rogers?” Strucker mocked. Steve was frozen, wanting to tear his eyes away, but not wanting to risk anything else happening to Tony. “It’s not so much to ask for, is it? It is really worth all this?”

Tony’s thrashing started to fade, limbs starting to go limp.

“You’re drowning him!”

“My medics can bring him back. Again and again and again-”

Tony was completely still now. Strucker snapped his fingers and the operatives hauled him out of the water. A medic immediately turned him on his back, pumping his chest until he sat up, spitting water, gasping for air.

“Again,” Strucker ordered.

Steve smashed his fist into the glass as the operatives hauled Tony to his knees. As they did so, Steve managed to catch eyes with his friend. Tony's face was still set. Resolute. Ready to do this. His lips moved. One word. _Don’t._

“No,” Steve breathed.

“I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t quite catch that. Can you speak up?”

“No,” Steve said, louder.

“No, what?”

Steve let out the breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking at Tony. Tony nodded in understanding. There was no resentment in his expression. Just resolution.

Steve turned back to Strucker. “You can take my blood. Just stop hurting him. Please.”

“Rogers!” Tony twisted in his captors’ grip. “You fucking hypocrite! We had a deal!”

Strucker backhanded him across the face, the sound of the impact ringing through the stone room.

“Stop!” Steve begged, as much to Tony as to Strucker. “You have me. Just let him go.”

Strucker beamed like it was Christmas as he nodded to the operatives, who dragged Tony back against the wall and put the chains back in place. “Stark stays with us as long as you do, Captain. But if you’re a good little boy and don’t upset my doctors, he remains unhurt. Do we have a deal?”

Steve swallowed. “We have a deal.”

“Steve, don’t do this!” Tony was still fighting, even as the manacles were reattached to his wrists. “You really want Hydra to have an army of super-soldiers? How the fuck do you intend to deal with that?”

Steve was resolute as he looked at Tony.

“Together.”

Tony scoffed. “And if we lose?”

“We’ll do that together too.”

With Tony secured in place, the Hydra operatives left the room. Strucker pulled his gun and aimed it at Tony again.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Just insurance, Captain. It pays to be cautious in these matters.”

The room waited with bated breath for the Hydra operatives to reappear on Steve’s side of the room. Tony’s voice broke the silence, the words directed at Steve.

“Why?”

Steve looked over at him. “Because you’re on my team, Tony. And you’re my friend. And if the positions were reversed, even if I had told you not to give them what they wanted…I think we both know what you would have done.”

Whatever Tony’s response would have been was lost as the door on his side of the room reopened.

“What-” was all Strucker got out before an arrow pierced straight through the hand holding the gun, causing him to drop it with a roar of pain. Steve leant against the glass in relief as a second arrow imbedded itself in Strucker’s shoulder. A blur of red and black was already at Tony’s side, picking the locks on the manacles in a manner of seconds.

“Miss me, Romanov?”

Natasha gave a wry smile as she took Tony’s arms around her shoulders, helping him to his feet as Clint secured Strucker, a blow to the head knocking him unconscious.

“Not for a second,” Natasha replied. “But finding you was the only way I could get Clint to stop crying.”

“Gotta say, I wasn’t ready to give up the fancy toys,” Clint replied as crashing and screaming were heard from elsewhere in the building. “And Hulk and Thor both needed to blow off some steam, so you know. Multi-tasking.”

Natasha passed Tony off to Clint and approached Steve from the other side of the glass. “You ok?” she said.

“Once you get me out of this box and Stark to a hospital…yeah. I’ll be fine.” Nat nodded and made her way out of the room.

“I don’t need a hospital,” Tony griped.

“Tony, there is a hole in your leg,” Steve replied.

“Had worse,” Tony grunted back.

“It’ll be fun,” Clint said. “We’ll all take turns crying by your bedside.”

“You’re not selling this, Barton.”

The door to Steve’s side of the room clicked open and Natasha appeared there. “Ready to go home, Cap?”

Steve looked around at his teammates, eyes locking with Tony’s. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the second one! Fandom thoughts: is it Romanov or Romanoff?
> 
> So hey, I have this film and screenwriting podcast? It's called "Kill the Cat" and once a month my co-host and I and break down one of our favourite movies or tv shows and look at why they work, including Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and, of course, the MCU.
> 
> You can check it out on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ypaen3yM5Q&t=1s&ab_channel=KilltheCatPodcast), [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5hCprc9UCBZP4srFrBXKT1?si=ZOqdhMlVQvqV2fG5PxuvOA), or anywhere you listen to podcasts. 
> 
> And hey. You're doing great.


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